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Background: Previous research has shown that the use of dental care services has a significant socioeconomic gradient. Lower income groups tend to use dental care services less, and they often have poorer dental health than higher income groups. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how an increase in income affects the use of dental care services among a low-income population. Methods: The study examines the causal effect of increasing cash transfers on the use of dental care services by utilizing unique register-based data from a randomized field experiment conducted in Finland in 2017–2018. The Finnish basic income experiment introduced an exogenous increase in the income of persons who previously received basic unemployment benefits. Register-based data on the study population's use of public and private dental care services were collected both for the treatment group (N = 2,000) and the control group (N = 173,222) of the experiment over a five-year period 2015–2019: two years before, two years during, and one year after the experiment. The experiment's average treatment effect on the use of dental care services was estimated with OLS regressions. Results: The Finnish basic income experiment had no detectable effect on the overall use of dental care services. However, it decreased the probability of visiting public dental care (-2.7% points, -4.7%, p =.017) and increased the average amount of out-of-pocket spending on private care (12.1 euros, 29.8%, p =.032). The results suggest that, even in a country with a universal public dental care coverage, changes in cash transfers do affect the dental care patterns of low-income populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction On May 9, 2016, the State of California passed a law to increase the licensing fee for tobacco retailers from a one-time-only fee of $100 to an annual fee of $265, effective on June 9, 2016. This study investigates the association between this fee increase and retailer densities by neighborhood income and race/ethnicity characteristics. Methods We obtained quarterly data on the number of active tobacco retailer licenses from 2011 to 2020 in every zip code in California from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. These data were then linked to zip code-level income, race/ethnicity, and population measures. We used a single-group segmented interrupted time-series analysis to assess the association between the increase in licensing fees and retailer densities by neighborhood income and race/ethnicity. Results After the implementation of the annual licensing fees, the retailer density decreased both immediately and gradually. Specifically, the retailer density dropped by 0.47 in the first quarter following the intervention. Compared to the pre-intervention time trend, the retailer density decreased quarterly by 0.05. Furthermore, the impacts of increasing licensing fees were more pronounced in low-income and the majority Black zip codes. Conclusions Given that higher smoking prevalence is associated with greater tobacco outlet density, the licensing fee increase could be an effective policy tool to reduce tobacco use among economically disadvantaged and minority Black communities, thereby addressing tobacco-use disparities. Implications This study used the single-group segmented interrupted time-series analysis to assess the association between the licensing fee increase and tobacco retailer densities by neighborhood income and race/ethnicity. We found that this licensing fee increase was associated with reduced retailer densities and the total number of active retailers right after the implementation. We further found that the annual licensing fee policy had a continuous effect in reducing tobacco retailer densities in all zip codes. The impacts of increasing licensing fees were more pronounced in low-income and majority of Black zip codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, Laos faced a severe economic and fiscal crisis, resulting in high public debt, currency depreciation, and inflation. This crisis had negative impacts on the environment, economic inequality, and labor migration. The government implemented fiscal measures to mitigate the crisis, but their effectiveness remains uncertain. Despite construction projects and a tourism boom in Luang Prabang, there is disillusionment and uncertainty among the population, particularly in rural areas. The Laos-China Railway performed well, but concerns about debt to China and the social and environmental costs of infrastructure construction persist. The government is negotiating with creditors to restructure its debt and is relying on a small group of economists to address macroeconomic deficiencies. Laos also faced social problems, environmental issues, and had diverse relationships with China, Russia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The government's ability to address these challenges and discontent among the population is crucial for the country's future. The document provides a list of sources covering various aspects of Laos in 2023, including the economic crisis, debt levels, relationship with China, renewable energy, tourism, migration, land grabs, drug trade, environmental threats, and more. It also discusses Laos' role in the crisis in Myanmar and the doubts about its ability to make a significant difference. The article presents different perspectives on the matter, highlighting the complexities and challenges involved. [Extracted from the article]

In this study of middle-aged adults surveyed by NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) from March 1999 to March 2020, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use was consistently higher among low-income adults. Low-income adults had an increase in hypertension but no changes in diabetes or obesity. In contrast, higher-income adults had an increase in diabetes and obesity. Income-based disparities persisted after adjustment for social determinants of health. Visual Abstract. Cardiovascular Health of Middle-Aged U.S. Adults by Income Level, 1999 to March 2020: In this study of 20 761 middle-aged adults surveyed by NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) from March 1999 to March 2020, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use was consistently higher among low-income adults. Low-income adults had an increase in hypertension but no changes in diabetes or obesity. In contrast, higher-income adults had an increase in diabetes and obesity. Income-based disparities persisted after adjustment for social determinants of health. Background: Although cardiovascular mortality has increased among middle-aged U.S. adults since 2011, how the burden of cardiovascular risk factors has changed for this population by income level over the past 2 decades is unknown. Objective: To evaluate trends in the prevalence, treatment, and control of cardiovascular risk factors among low-income and higher-income middle-aged adults and how social determinants contribute to recent associations between income and cardiovascular health. Design: Serial cross-sectional study. Setting: NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), 1999 to March 2020. Participants: Middle-aged adults (aged 40 to 64 years). Measurements: Age-standardized prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and cigarette use; treatment rates for hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia; and rates of blood pressure, glycemic, and cholesterol control. Results: The study population included 20 761 middle-aged adults. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use was consistently higher among low-income adults between 1999 and March 2020. Low-income adults had an increase in hypertension over the study period (37.2% [95% CI, 33.5% to 40.9%] to 44.7% [CI, 39.8% to 49.5%]) but no changes in diabetes or obesity. In contrast, higher-income adults did not have a change in hypertension but had increases in diabetes (7.8% [CI, 5.0% to 10.6%] to 14.9% [CI, 12.4% to 17.3%]) and obesity (33.0% [CI, 26.7% to 39.4%] to 44.0% [CI, 40.2% to 47.7%]). Cigarette use was high and stagnant among low-income adults (33.2% [CI, 28.4% to 38.0%] to 33.9% [CI, 29.6% to 38.3%]) but decreased among their higher-income counterparts (18.6% [CI, 13.5% to 23.7%] to 11.5% [CI, 8.7% to 14.3%]). Treatment and control rates for hypertension were unchanged in both groups (>80%), whereas diabetes treatment rates improved only among the higher-income group (58.4% [CI, 44.4% to 72.5%] to 77.4% [CI, 67.6% to 87.1%]). Income-based disparities in hypertension, diabetes, and cigarette use persisted in more recent years even after adjustment for insurance coverage, health care access, and food insecurity. Limitation: Sample size limitations could preclude detection of small changes in treatment and control rates. Conclusion: Over 2 decades in the United States, hypertension increased in low-income middle-aged adults, whereas diabetes and obesity increased in their higher-income counterparts. Income-based disparities in hypertension, diabetes, and smoking persisted even after adjustment for other social determinants of health. Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Women are especially vulnerable to not being able to cover the costs of living or meet sudden demands for funds to pay for emergencies (financial vulnerability). The COVID‐19 pandemic put additional stress on household incomes and the ability to meet emergency expenses, thus bringing into sharp relief the lack of inclusion of women in formal financial systems and the gender gaps between them and men. Purpose: How financially vulnerable are women in Latin America? What causes vulnerability? How do financial inclusion, personality traits, cognitive characteristics, and financial literacy affect financial vulnerability? Methods and approach: Using Financial Capabilities Surveys, we use regression to model the determinants of an index of financial vulnerability for eight countries in Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. We use Oaxaca‐Blinder decomposition to establish the extent to which the gender arises from the different characteristics of men and women, or from the way in which such characteristics affect groups. Findings: We find a gender gap in financial vulnerability in most of the eight countries. Individual characteristics that often explain this gap are socioeconomic, such as belonging to a low socioeconomic class and not having a regular income. In addition to gender and socioeconomic characteristics, the use of savings products, some personality traits (ability to plan, self‐control), economic preferences, and numeracy skills also drive financial vulnerability. Policy implications: Interventions to reduce financial vulnerability need, first and foremost, to address socioeconomic conditions. People on low incomes will always be financially vulnerable. In addition, programmes to expand financial inclusion and educate people on finances can help. Given the significant gender gaps, more effort must be made to reduce such gaps in education, employment, and social norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty in Germany is on the rise. All current empirical surveys record this ongoing trend, specifically among certain disadvantaged groups, including older women. Despite the fact that different surveys draw the objective poverty line at different absolute income levels, it is more important, from a comprehensive sociological viewpoint, to include the numerous non-monetary factors – social and infrastructural – that burden the life of a poor person both objectively and subjectively. The so-called relative poverty also examines the contextual conditions, stresses and strains in the surrounding life situations from which poor people suffer from and which limit their life chances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable focus on predictors of attitudes towards economic inequality, there is less psychological research into attitudes towards other unequal outcomes between the rich and poor, including differences in health and life expectancy. Two studies examine whether causal attributions for these socioeconomic health inequalities predict attitudes towards them. A cross‐sectional study of 332 UK and US respondents showed that most respondents indicate a preference for some degree of income inequality but no life expectancy inequality between the richest and poorest in society. These preferences for equal life expectancy for the rich and poor were significantly less likely for respondents who viewed health inequalities to be caused by dispositional factors (e.g., self‐control, ability or effort). In a second pre‐registered cross‐sectional study (n = 602), dispositional attributions negatively predicted self‐reported concern about health inequality, whilst endorsing situational attributions (e.g., discrimination and prejudice, wages) was positively associated with concerns on this issue. Moreover, situational attributions positively predicted support for six policy proposals for reducing health inequality, while dispositional attributions were associated with increased support for some of these interventions and decreased support for others. Despite very distinct distribution preferences for income and life expectancy outcomes, causal attributions continue to predict attitudes towards health inequality and associated policy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the flexibility applications and the unequal distribution and the low income levels low income groups get by exhibiting the income distribution that occurs among the ones that join the labour market. To that end, the earnings of paid employees, casual worker, selfemployed and employer are examined by using the micro data of the TURKSAT Household Income and Living Conditions Survey-2019. The differences among the income groups are presented by calculating the distribution among the income groups in accordance with the education level, job status, employment situation and occupational group and the shares they get from the income as per 10% percentile of the ones within employment. The findings indicate that the income difference between the lowest and the highest is 16,7 times and the average income of the low income group is in a level less than the minimum wage but that nevertheless mostly the high income groups benefit from the transfer incomes. It is inferred that flexible and/or informal labour is prevalent in the lowest income group that is under the risk of poverty due to the low level of welfare they have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The economic burden of traumatic injuries forces families into difficult tradeoffs between healthcare and nutrition, particularly among those with a low income. However, the epidemiology of food insecurity among individuals reporting having experienced fractures is not well understood. Questions/purposes: (1) Do individuals in the National Health Interview Survey reporting having experienced fractures also report food insecurity more frequently than individuals in the general population? (2) Are specific factors associated with a higher risk of food insecurity in patients with fractures? Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of the National Health Interview Survey was conducted to identify patients who reported a fracture within 3 months before survey completion. The National Health Interview Survey is an annual serial, cross-sectional survey administered by the United States Centers for Disease Control, involving approximately 90,000 individuals across 35,000 American households. The survey is designed to be generalizable to the civilian, noninstitutionalized United States population and is therefore well suited to evaluate longitudinal trends in physical, economic, and psychosocial health factors nationwide. We analyzed data from 2011 to 2017 and identified 1399 individuals who reported sustaining a fracture during the 3 months preceding their survey response. Among these patients, 27% (384 of 1399) were older than 65 years, 77% (1074) were White, 57% (796) were women, and 14% (191) were uninsured. A raw score compiled from 10 food security questions developed by the United States Department of Agriculture was used to determine the odds of 30-day food insecurity for each patient. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with food insecurity among patients reporting fractures. In the overall sample of National Health Interview Survey respondents, approximately 0.6% (1399 of 239,168) reported a fracture. Results: Overall, 17% (241 of 1399) of individuals reporting broken bones or fractures in the National Health Interview Survey also reported food insecurity. Individuals reporting fractures were more likely to report food insecurity if they also were aged between 45 and 64 years (adjusted odds ratio 4.0 [95% confidence interval 2.1 to 7.6]; p < 0.001), had a household income below USD 49,716 (200% of the federal poverty level) per year (adjusted OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.9 to 5.1]; p < 0.001), were current tobacco smokers (adjusted OR 2.8 [95% CI 1.6 to 5.1]; p < 0.001), and were of Black race (adjusted OR 1.9 [95% CI 1.1 to 3.4]; p = 0.02). Conclusion: Among patients with fractures, food insecurity screening and routine nutritional assessments may help to direct financially vulnerable patients toward available community resources. Such screening programs may improve adherence to nutritional recommendations in the trauma recovery period and improve the physiologic environment for adequate soft tissue and bone healing. Future research may benefit from the inclusion of clinical nutritional data, a broader representation of high-energy injuries, and a prospective study design to evaluate cost-efficient avenues for food insecurity interventions in the context of locally available social services networks. Level of Evidence: Level III, prognostic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how ethical food consumption is framed in the accounts of ordinary people living in affluent societies, with a particular focus on income differences. Research on ethical consumption often associates 'ethical' with the consumption of certain predefined products. This study leaves the question of the content of ethical consumption open for empirical investigation. Further, instead of focusing only on the moment of purchasing, this study considers how people with different income levels relate to both food consumption and waste. The analysis draws from qualitative interviews with 60 people living in Canada and Finland. The analysis identified the techniques, subjects and norms through which the question ethical food consumption is posed by the informants and how they framed these issues with regard to income. The findings underline that ethical consumption is a socially constructed, contested and even internally contradictory discourse. Differences in income do not only mean differences in the role that money plays in food choices but also in what kind of consumption people consider worth pursuing. Further, differences in income dictate differences in how people are morally positioned vis-à-vis abundance. For people with a higher level of income, moral blame is asserted on wasteful consumption habits. For the people with a low income, in turn, it is ethically condemnable to refuse to rejoice at the abundance around us. The findings indicate that even in a society where the rhetoric of choice is prominent both as a right and as an obligation by which people ought to display ethical agency, the ethics of choice is tied to the resources available for consumption. People with a severely low income occasionally enjoy the trickling down of abundant treats and surprises. However, for them, occasional indulgence causes not only pleasure but also trouble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socioeconomic status is an overlooked risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Low family income is a measure of socioeconomic status and may portend greater CVD risk. Therefore, we assessed the association of family income with cardiovascular risk factor and disease burden in American adults. This retrospective analysis included data from participants aged ≥ 20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles between 2005 and 2018. Family income to poverty ratio (PIR) was calculated by dividing family (or individual) income by poverty guidelines specific to the survey year and used as a measure of socioeconomic status. The association of PIR with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and CVD as well as cardiac mortality and all-cause mortality was examined. We included 35,932 unweighted participants corresponding to 207,073,472 weighted, nationally representative participants. Participants with lower PIR were often female and more likely to belong to race/ethnic minorities (non-Hispanic Black, Mexican American, other Hispanic). In addition, they were less likely to be married/living with a partner, to attain college graduation or higher, or to have health insurance. In adjusted analyses, the prevalence odds of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and stroke largely decreased in a step-wise manner from highest (≥ 5) to lowest PIR (< 1). In adjusted analysis, we also noted a mostly dose-dependent association of PIR with the risk of all-cause and cardiac mortality during a mean 5.7 and 5.8 years of follow up, respectively. Our study demonstrates a largely dose-dependent association of PIR with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, CHF, CAD and stroke prevalence as well as incident all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality in a nationally representative sample of American adults. Public policy efforts should be directed to alleviate these disparities to help improve cardiovascular outcomes in vulnerable groups with low family income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shrimp farming is an important economic activity practiced on the coast of the state of Sergipe, being responsible for the income of many families and local commerce. Even so, there are no studies that address the characterization of its production. Therefore, the present study aimed to characterize the productive model adopted by the farmers in the coast of the state of Sergipe, to analyze the legal situation of the enterprises and the socioeconomic aspects of the activity in the local population. For this, a survey of all the databases on shrimp farming available at the Shrimp Breeders Association of the State of Sergipe, the State Environmental Administration and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics was carried out. In Sergipe small enterprises predominate, mainly adopting a family model. The majority (53.62%) of the producers have up to 2 nurseries, and 66% produce in areas under 1 hectare, with semi-extensive farming, low mechanization of production and practiced by a large number of low-income people. The Greater Aracaju region stood out because of its high activity concentration. The study allowed to analyze the activity of shrimp farming in the state of Sergipe, indicating the characteristics of this activity, serving as a basis for its socioeconomic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the two main dynamics of inflation, defined as demand-pull and cost-push inflation, are analyzed for the Turkish economy. Based on the fact that this basic dynamic in inflation may vary, the empirical structure of the study was created by taking into account the structural break in inflation. According to the empirical findings, it was concluded that the dynamics of inflation changed with the structural break in inflation. In terms of the Turkish economy, while demand-pull inflation was observed in the pre-structural break period when the domestic currency was appreciated. Cost-push inflation was more effective in the post-structural break period when the domestic currency was relatively depreciated due to the pass-through effect. Empirical findings show that after the structural break in inflation, a structural process was experienced in the Turkish economy in which money supply did not cause inflation. As it is known, the transfer of wealth from the lower income group to the higher income group accelerates during periods of high inflation. The insufficiency of effective demand, which decreases with the deepening of income inequality, also provides evidence for the fact that the money supply is not inflationary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the impacts of Livestock Asset Transfers on the livelihoods of the ultra-poor in West Bengal, India. The programme provides the female members of ultra-poor households with livestock assets as grants. We find that the intervention increases per capita monthly income by Rs 1061 (122% increase). It also increases the food expenditures of households and enables them to secure enough food to eat at least two meals a day. Furthermore, the programme also increases the number/amount of owned livestock assets, poultry, and cultivable lands amid the treatment households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household equivalence scales serve a key role in measuring income poverty. This paper analyzes poverty trends and levels under a set of alternative equivalence scales for Argentina and explores how the use of different scales modifies the demographic composition of the poor population. Results suggest that poverty levels are indeed affected by the choice of the scale, although trends are robust. There is evidence of changes in the demographic profile of the poor in favor of certain household types according to the scale employed. Results depend on how the poverty line is set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental income is negatively and linearly related to the digit ratio (2D:4D; a proxy for prenatal sex steroids) of their children. Children of parents with high income are thought to be exposed to higher prenatal testosterone and develop lower 2D:4D. It is further hypothesized that 2D:4D relates to sexual orientation, although it is unclear whether the association is linear or curvilinear. Here, we consider patterns of parental income and its association with the sexual behavior of their adult children in a large online study (the BBC internet study). There were curvilinear relationships with parental income in male and female children. The highest frequencies of homosexuality and bisexuality were found in the lowest income group (bottom 25% of the population), the lowest frequencies in the income group representing the upper 50% of the population, and intermediate values in the other groups (low 50% and top 25% of the population). Parental income showed a U-shaped association with scores for same-sex attraction and an inverted U-shaped association with opposite-sex attraction. Thus, for the first time, we show that same-sex attraction is related to parental income. The curvilinear relationship between parental income and sexual behavior in their adult children may result from an association between very high fetal estrogen or testosterone and attraction to partners of the same sex. Among non-heterosexuals, and in both sexes, very high fetal estrogen may be associated with femme or submissive sexual roles, and very high fetal testosterone with butch and assertive sexual roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether income gaps in voting turnout vary with country-level economic inequality, and whether this pattern differs between wealthier and less-wealthy countries. Moreover, we investigated whether the prevalence of clientelism was the underlying mechanism that accounts for the presumed negative interaction between relative income and economic inequality at lower levels of national wealth per capita. The harmonised PolPart dataset, combining cross-national surveys from 66 countries and 292 country-years, including 510,184 individuals, was analysed using multilevel logistic regression models. We found that the positive effect of relative income on voting was weaker at higher levels of economic inequality, independent of the level of national wealth. Although clientelism partially explains why economic inequality reduces the income gap in voter turnout, it does not do so in the way we expected. It seems to decrease turnout of higher income groups, rather than increase turnout of lower income groups. Importantly, that economic inequality reduces the income gap in voter turnout does not imply that economic inequality is positive for democratic representation, since economic inequality was found to depress the likelihood of voting for all income groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental child-related spending represents an important pathway to promote children's human capital development and material well-being. It is also, however, a pathway that perpetuates social inequalities given the well-known socioeconomic divide in parental spending on children. Although several studies have documented the extent to which current family income is associated with spending on children, we still know little about the causal effects of additional income on child-related spending across the socioeconomic strata. In this paper, I examine the effects of income gains due to universal and unconditional cash transfers from the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend on child-related spending. Using longitudinal household expenditure data from the 1996–2015 Consumer Expenditure Surveys, I exploit exogenous variation in the generosity of the Alaska Dividend to estimate short- and long-term disparities in parental expenditures resulting from payouts. Results provide a unique opportunity to compare the behavior of high- and low-income parents after an income boost. I find that low- and middle-income parents use cash transfers to catch up with their more affluent counterparts in the short and long term. Low-income parents are, however, unable to keep up with the long-term increases in child-related spending made by their middle-income counterparts. Implications of results for the reproduction of socioeconomic inequalities and for current and proposed cash-transfer policies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - This study is aimed to investigate the interconnection between the average income level and the tendency of the Malaysian community toward the adoption of Islamic digital banking. Methodology - This study used a quantitative survey questionnaire with 100 valid respondents. The data were collected within 3 months and the SPSS software was applied in this study to analyse the data using descriptive analysis. Cronbach's alpha tests were used to determine the reliability of multiple questions based on the Likert scale questionnaires in this study. Findings - The general finding of this study shows that the group with lower income levels is more responsive to the adoption of Islamic digital banking compared to the higher income group. It indicates that this group believed that Islamic digital banking can be beneficial to the community socially and economically in terms of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and transaction cost. Novelty - The emergence of this study is to contribute the literature and reference related to Islamic digital banking for the interest of researchers, practitioners, and consumers in developing further research and the adoption of this platform in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policymakers have adopted built environment policies to modify people's travel behavior and the related emissions. However, few studies have examined the interactive impact between income level and built environment attributes on travel-related carbon emissions (TCE), and only several studies consider their nonlinear relationships. With data from the Twin Cities, US, this study estimated the nonlinear effects of built environment attributes and demographics on TCE. It further examined the interactive impacts between household income and built environment attributes. The findings highlight that demographics exert a greater influence on TCE than the built environment. Employment status, job accessibility, and gender are the most important predictors. Besides individual nonlinear relationships, household income and built environment attributes have salient interactive impacts on TCE. The results suggest that providing environment friendly and affordable transportation choices to low-income population, switching to clean energy vehicles, and offering more matched job opportunities to low-income population near their residence are promising to create a sustainable transportation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact on the income of families benefiting from the "Minha Casa Minha Vida" Brazilian Social Housing Program through the integration of photovoltaic (PV) generation systems into housing financing, as outlined by Law 14,620 enacted in July 2023. Given the novelty of this legislation, there is no existing database for analysis. Consequently, simulations of PV generation were carried out for the typical dwellings provided by the program across the five macro regions of Brazil. The simulation takes into account maintenance and equipment replacement costs, tariff rules, and standard adjustment rates in the country. Across all examined scenarios, the installation of residential rooftop PV systems yielded favorable outcomes, resulting in a reduction in electricity costs for the low-income population. Making provisions for a Sinking Fund in the program was identified as crucial to provide sustainability, long-term operation, maintenance and replacement. Additionally, it was observed that civil construction companies play a crucial role in popularizing the proposal. In conclusion, legislation incorporating PV generation into the national housing program represents merely the initial step toward realizing the widespread adoption of this energy generation technology in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants tend to have unhealthier dietary consumption compared to eligible non-participants. It has been suggested, though never empirically tested, that individuals who enroll in SNAP may have unhealthy diets prior to program participation. Using a longitudinal cohort study design, we examined the association between low-income adults' SNAP participation status and prior dietary behaviors to test the argument that individuals with unhealthier dietary consumption self-select into SNAP. A sample of households from predominantly lower-income cities were surveyed at baseline (T1) and 2–4 years later (T2). The main analyses were restricted to adults who did not participate in SNAP at T1 and with household income <200% of the federal poverty line (n = 170) at both T1 and T2. Participants were grouped into two categories, based on their SNAP participation at T2; (a) Non-participants (n = 132): no SNAP participation at T1 or T2, and (b) T2 SNAP participants (n = 38): SNAP participation at T2 but not T1. Daily consumption frequency of whole fruits, fruit juice, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and energy dense snacks were measured through self-reports. To observe dietary differences between the two groups prior to SNAP participation, T1 behaviors were compared. There were no significant differences in dietary behaviors at T1 (prior to SNAP participation) between non-participants and T2 participants, providing no evidence of self-selection of individuals with unhealthier dietary consumption into SNAP among our study sample. Improvements in SNAP participants' diets may benefit from focusing on policy changes that encourage healthy dietary habits during participation in the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between age and happiness has been the subject of numerous studies. It is still a matter of controversy whether the relationship is U-shaped, with happiness declining after youth before bouncing back in old age, or not. While the effect of age has been examined conditional on income and other socio-demographic variables, so far, the interactions between age and income have remained insufficiently explored. Using data from the European Social Survey, this article shows that the nature of the relationship between age and happiness varies strongly with different levels of relative income. People in the lowest decile of the income distribution experience a 'hockey stick': a deep decline in self-reported happiness until around age 50–55 and a small bounce back in old age. The classic U-curve is found mostly in the middle-income ranks. For people at the top of the income distribution, average happiness does not vary much with age. These results demonstrate the important role of income in moderating the relationship between age and happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women in sub‐Saharan Africa. Although research on the relationship between individual‐level socioeconomic status (SES) and hypertension exists, to the best of our knowledge, limited empirical studies examined the effects of neighbourhood‐level SES/wealth on the risks of living with hypertension in Ghana. Using data from the 2009 Women's Health Study of Accra (WHSA‐II), and applying multilevel logistic regression, this study investigates the effects of both individual and neighbourhood wealth status on hypertension among women in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The results show that individual‐level SES/wealth is a significant determinant of hypertension among Ghanaian women in Accra. Specifically, wealthy women are more likely to be hypertensive compared to poorer women. However, the effect of neighbourhood SES/wealth was attenuated after adjusting for individual‐level SES/wealth. These findings suggest that it is important to develop health promotion programs targeted at a segment of SES group in the prevention, control and management of hypertension among women in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article argues for the virtues of local fiscal control of public schools. Ahab is at the center of the story, but he is no hero. His ungodly hunt to destroy the white whale is the cause of the demise of the crew of his ship, which is sunk by an attack from Moby Dick.

This study examined how HIP participation patterns differ among students in different Korean universities. Moreover, this study explored whether there is an association between the likelihood of a student belonging to a specific group and their individual characteristics along with their university’s supportive campus environment. This study analyzed the data from the 2019 wave of the Korean-NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement), and the samples included 12,784 college seniors from 112 institutions. Furthermore, it employed latent profile analysis and multinomial logistic regression. As a result, this research identifies five distinctive HIP participation patterns. Family income and student-faculty interaction levels determine which group a student belongs to. For example, economically disadvantaged students tend to belong to a group with lower participation in study abroad programs. Finally, the supportive campus environment was strongly associated with being a member of actively participating groups compared to being in a less engaged group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mainstream economic theory is replete with assumptions that feed into structural or systemic racism. It supports an economic system that severely disadvantages people at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, which in the U.S. includes a disproportionate number of Hispanics, indigenous people, and descendants of slaves ((would Afro-Americans be more appropriate?)). The paper discusses 15 such assumptions that are generally trivialized, including the crucial role information costs play in decision making. In turn, costly information implies that its acquisition by poor people requires a greater share of their income, making it more difficult for them to make well-informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how relational approaches to well‐being could support young children's educational achievement in high‐poverty contexts. It draws on findings from a qualitative study involving mothers and early years educators living and/or working in a city characterised as one of the most disadvantaged in England. The findings suggest that children's well‐being, rather than being merely an individual characteristic or aspiration, is interdependent with their social and material environments, as are the institutions that support them. The paper concludes by calling for a recalibration of early childhood policies away from assessing individual children's 'school readiness' to encouraging society's readiness to support everyone's well‐being, and consequently that of young children too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To estimate the effect of Medicaid expansion on noncitizens' and citizens' participation in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded Medicaid eligibility to cover low-income nonelderly adults without children, thus delinking their Medicaid participation from participation in the SSI program. Methods. Using data from the Social Security Administration for 2009 through 2018 (n = 1020 state-year observations) and the Current Population Survey for 2009 through 2019 (n = 78 776 respondents), we employed a difference-in-differences approach comparing SSI participation rates in US states that adopted Medicaid expansion with participation rates in nonexpansion states before and after ACA implementation. Results. Medicaid expansion reduced the SSI (disability) participation of nonelderly noncitizens by 12% and of nonelderly citizens by 2%. Estimates remained robust with administrative and survey data. Conclusions. Medicaid expansion caused a substantially larger decline in the SSI participation of noncitizens, who face more restrictive SSI eligibility criteria, than of citizens. Our estimates suggest an annual savings of $619 million in the federal SSI cost because of the decline in SSI participation among noncitizens and citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Poverty is characterized by a scarcity of resources and a threat of certain stereotypes. However, the effects of stereotype threat are largely dependent on various factors, both negative and positive. Few psychophysiological studies have studied the effects of poverty stereotype threats on inhibition ability in wealth and impoverished individuals. Methods: To fill this gap in the literature, this study used the event‐related potential (ERP) technique to explore the brain mechanisms associated with stereotype threat in 135 participants. Results: Behavioral results showed that the rich group (participants from higher‐income families) had better inhibition ability than the impoverished group (participants from lower‐income families), with significantly shorter reaction time and significantly greater accuracy for poverty‐related stimuli when in the nonthreat condition. Additionally, poverty stereotype threat could improve performance of the impoverished group for poverty‐related stimuli. The electrophysiological results showed significantly larger P3 mean amplitude and significantly longer P3 latency in the rich group than the impoverished group in the nonthreat condition. Although no significant between‐group differences were found in the threat condition, the results show that the effect of poverty stereotype threat varies with different income‐level persons, for both behavioral and P3 data. Conclusion: These findings suggest that impoverished people have worse inhibition abilities. Further, poverty stereotype threat has different effects on people according to their income level and could help to explain irrational consumption behaviors in people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh's health finance characterizes by 63.3% out-of-pocket payments and a lack of prepayment mechanism. We assume this heavy burden significantly contributes to poverty. The results indicate, 3.2% of households are not counted as the poor, but in reality, they are. This shows an 8.8% underestimation of poverty. The poverty gap increases from Bangladesh Taka 1,458 to Taka 1,817. Similarly, the mean positive poverty gap rises from 22.2% to 25.2%, indicating that the increase in poverty is not only due to more households being brought into poverty but also deepening of the poverty among those who were already poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues for the importance of defining poverty from the perspective of those who experience poverty. How poverty is defined and operationalised is critical to policy and academic debates, as this is intertwined with explanations, causes, and possible solutions. Yet current definitions are typically provided by the 'non-poor'. What we lack is knowledge of whether these definitions of the concept are similar to or different from those understood and conceptualised by those experiencing poverty. Australian poverty research has typically relied on panel data, administrative data, or surveys to construct and define 'poverty'. We propose that Australian poverty scholars embrace phenomenology as a way to highlight the voices of those experiencing poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates seven dimensions of poverty in Vietnam (income, health, education, housing, assets, basic services and economic status) using the Household Living Standard Survey data of 2014. The Government of Vietnam disburses funds for poverty alleviation to regions on the basis of incidence of household income poverty. Our study shows that this method neither fully captures the complex regional diversity of poverty nor does it accurately identify regions with a higher severity of poverty. For the first time in poverty studies of Vietnam, we explore the role of multiple spatial levels on poverty in multiple dimensions. Unlike the practice in the existing literature which classifies the poor with an arbitrary poverty cut-off, we use a fuzzy method that allows the inclusion of people who are in partial poverty. Furthermore, by utilizing random intercept multilevel models to decompose the variation of poverty at the household, commune, district and province levels, poverty maps for Vietnam are developed to visualize the spatial evidence of the severity and incidence of poverty. We identify that the provinces that are relatively less (more) poor in the income dimension are more (less) destitute in several other dimensions, which clearly shows a need for special policy attention. Our method reveals that the poverty ranking of provinces in regional Vietnam departs widely from those obtained through traditional single-level analysis. This suggests that poverty in Vietnam can be explained not only by characteristics at the household level, but also by contextual factors at higher levels (commune/village, district, province). These empirical findings can help Vietnamese policy makers determine suitable strategies to effectively target the most deprived regions and to develop more appropriate poverty-alleviation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fishers' economic status is hard to assess because fisheries socio‐economic data, including earnings, are often not centrally available, standardized or accessible in a form that allows scaled‐up or comparative analyses. The lack of fishing income data impedes sound management and allows biased perceptions about fishers' status to persist. We compile data from intergovernmental and regional data sets, as well as case‐studies, on income earned from marine wild‐capture fisheries. We explore the level and distribution of fishers' income across fisheries sectors and geographical regions, and highlight challenges in data collection and reporting. We find that fishers generally are not the poorest of the poor based on average fishing income from 89 countries, but income levels vary widely. Fishing income in the large‐scale sector is higher than the small‐scale sector by about 2.2 times, and in high‐income versus low‐income countries by almost 9 times. Boat owners and captains earned more than double that of crew and owner‐operators, while income from fisheries is greater than that from agricultural work in 63% of countries in this study. Nonetheless, incomes are below national poverty lines in 34% of the countries with data. More detailed fishing income statistics is needed for quantitative scientific research and for supporting socio‐economic policies. Key gaps to address include the lack of a centralized database for fisheries income statistics and the coarse resolution at which economic statistics are reported internationally. A first step to close the gap is to integrate socio‐economic monitoring and reporting in fisheries management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Microcredit scheme was introduced to provide credit facilities for poor people to start a business activity. Microcredit creates income-generating self-employment activities that allow poor people to venture into small businesses and achieve economic independence. The scheme has been recognised as a successful tool to uplift the socio-economic status among the poor. Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) is the largest microfinance institution in Malaysia and therefore, its impact on the beneficiaries is crucial to be studied. This paper aims at reviewing the economic impact of AIM based on the existing literature. Methodology: Four electronic databases, which are Scopus, Science Direct, Springer and Ebscohost were used to search the literature. Subsequently 118 articles were generated from this search. However, only 13 articles which met the selection criteria were analysed. We selected only empirical studies that focused on the economic impact of AIM. Findings: Results of the review showed that income has dominated the economic impact assessment followed by asset, economic vulnerability and spending. Low concentration on the indicators other than income should be noted especially on spending as it provides a clear evidence that the recipients enjoy the economic well-being in terms of consumption expenditure. Contribution: This review reveals that microcredit has a great potential to uplift the economic status of the poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was aimed at analyzing the saving behavior of Saudi households in AL-HASA governorate, the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Data was collected via questionnaire randomly distributed to a sample of 308 Saudi households. The poverty line income was estimated as equivalent to break-even level in saving function, was estimated at 10500 Saudi Riyals per month. Using OLS method consumption and saving functions for Saudi households in AL-HASA governorate were estimated. The marginal propensity to save for poor was higher than that of non-poor households with a statistically significant difference of about 0.35. This indicates that poor households are more willing to save compared to non-poor households if income increases for both. For the determination of factors affecting saving behavior, the study applied the binary logistic regression, using maximum likelihood method with the dependent binary dummy variable of two values defining saving and non-saving households. Results indicated that the probability of saving for non-poor households is affected positively by household income; however, both the size of household and the dwelling type realized negative effects. Hence, the probability of increased saving for a rise in household income by SR 1,000 /month was estimated at 12.5%. In the case of an increase in the number of family members by one person, the probability of saving was less than 29.4%. The probability of saving for households living in rented houses was 60.6% less than the probability of saving for household living in their owned houses. Hence, residential rent represent an obstacle to saving for non-poor households. The most important factor influencing the probability of saving for poor households is number of family labor, where an increase in the number of workers in the poor family by one factor increases the probability of saving 34.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current literature on poverty focuses intensively on objective poverty, which is based on household income, household consumption, basic needs, calorie intake or a multidimensional poverty approach. In contrast, this paper researches subjective poverty, which is compared with objective poverty measured by income in Pakistan. Using Pakistan Panel Household Survey 2010 data, where household heads classify themselves on a ten-point-scale from the poorest to the richest, we find that the determinants of subjective poverty (feeling poor) are not limited to household consumption, but include household size, household demographic structure, agriculture land ownership, sanitation facility, physical and food insecurity. In comparison with the overall non-poor, the objective poor and the subjective poor households are determined by different factors. Particularly, for households lying below the subjective poverty line, factors such as education, household size, own residence and physical security have a significant positive impact on the eradication of poverty relative to overall non-poor. In addition, the Spearman Rank test upholds that subjective poverty measure complements the conventional method. Thus, priority should be given to specific targeted determinants, which are more important in the alleviation of poverty, while making and implementing public policy given the limited available resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To estimate the association between rates of police-related deaths and neighborhood residential segregation (by income, race/ethnicity, or both combined) in the United States. Methods. We identified police-related deaths that occurred in the United States (2015–2016) using a data set from the Guardian newspaper. We used census data to estimate expected police-related death counts for all US census tracts and to calculate the Index of Concentration at the Extremes as a segregation measure. We used multilevel negative binomial models for the analyses. Results. Overall, police-related death rates were highest in neighborhoods with the greatest concentrations of low-income residents (vs high-income residents) and residents of color (vs non-Hispanic White residents). For non-Hispanic Blacks, however, the risk was greater in the quintile of neighborhoods with the highest concentration of non-Hispanic White residents than in certain neighborhoods with relatively higher concentrations of residents of color (the third and fourth quintiles). Conclusions. Neighborhood context matters—beyond individual race/ethnicity—for understanding, preventing, and responding to the occurrence of police-related deaths. Public Health Implications. Efforts to monitor, prevent, and respond to police-related deaths should consider neighborhood context, including levels of segregation by income and race/ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study researched monthly income components in families from whom the child welfare system removed children to place them in out-of-home care. Using merged Washington State administrative data on 11,247 families who experienced child removal between July 2001 and June 2008, we examined wage and public assistance income. Inflation-adjusted average monthly cash income ranged from $736 to $1518 depending on how the income of a potential second parent was counted. In most configurations, average cash income fell below conservative measures of the applicable poverty line. These findings show that families involved in child welfare are on average very poor, more so than is commonly recognized, and provide new, finer-grained detail on the generally accepted relationship between poverty status and child welfare involvement.

The children of high-income parents often become high-income adults, while their low-income peers often become low-income adults. Education plays a central role in this intergenerational income persistence. Because education-based inequalities grew in recent decades, many scholars predicted that intergenerational income persistence would increase. However, previous research suggests that it remained stable across recent cohorts. We address this puzzle. Analyzing National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth data, we find that growing educational inequality by parental income, along with rising economic returns to education, increased intergenerational persistence, as scholars expected. However, two countervailing trends offset this increase. The expansion of higher education reduced persistence, because completing college helps low-income children become high-income adults. Yet, this reduction in persistence was far from enough to offset the increase in persistence associated with growing educational inequality and rising educational returns. Intergenerational persistence would have increased if not for another change: within educational groups, parental income became less predictive of adult income. New methodological tools underlie these findings, tools that quantify, for the first time, education's full force in intergenerational income persistence. These findings suggest that to reduce intergenerational persistence, educational policies should focus less on how many people complete college and more on who completes college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]